Vibrating interrupter system



INVENTOR June 22, 1948. H, BROWN VIBRATING INTERRUPTER SYSTEM Filed Nov. 26, 1943 M( awmncrzn nun 4 I 'fbnqwib llvpvrmvmq TaDmv/Mq 0041.

xuluzpuw Patented June 22, 1948 VIBRATIN G INTERRUPTER SYSTEM Harold J. Brown, Indianapolis, Ind., asslgnor to Electronic Laboratories Incorporated, a corporation of Indiana Application November as, 1943," Serial No. 511,781

11 Claims. 1

My invention relates in general to vibrating interrupter .systems and more particularly to vibrating interrupter systems having at least-two vibratory interrupters operated at substantially the same frequency.

An object of my invention is the provision of operating at least two vibratory interrupters at substantially the same frequency.

Another object of my invention is the provision of operating at least two vibratory interrupters at substantially the same frequency by decreasing the frequency of the vibratory interrupter having the'higher natural frequency and by increasing the frequency of the vibratory interrupter having the lower natural frequency.

Another object of my invention is to provide for operating at least two vibratory interrupters at substantially the same frequency with a predetermined phase relation with respect to each other- Another object of my invention is the provision of operating at least two vibratory interrupters at substantially the same frequency with a predetermined phase relation with respect to each other, together with the provision of governing the frequencies of the vibratory interrupters in response to the said predetermined phase relation.

Another object of my invention is the provision of operating at least two vibratory interrupters at substantially the same frequency which lies between the natural frequency of the vibratory interrupters.

Another object of my invention is the provision of operating at least two vibratory interrupters such that the maximum frequency is produced for one of the vibrator interrupters when the vibrating members are substantially in phase and such that the maximum frequency for the other vibratory interrupter is produced whenthe vi brating members are substantially 180 out of phase.

Another object of my invention is the provision of operating at least two vibratory interrupters at substantially the same frequency with the frequencies maintained at substantially 90 apart.

Another object of my invention is the provision of operating at least two vibratory interrupters at substantially the same frequency by applying more power to the driving coil of the vibratory interrupter having the lower natural frequency and providing less power to .the driving coil of the vibratory interrupter having the higher natural frequency.

Other objects and a fuller understanding of m invention may be had by referring theiol-.

lowing description and claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of a vibrating 5 interrupter system embodying the features of my invention;

Figure 2 illustrates a fragmentary portion of the system shown in Figure 1, and illustrates particularly the circuits for the driving coils of the out of phase, the upper vibrating member engaging the upper contact and the lower vibrating member engaging the lower contact;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view of the vibrating interrupter system shown in Figure 1 and illustrates particularly the circuit condition for the driving coils when the vibrating members are out of phase, with the upper vibrating member en- '30 gaging the lower contacts and the lower vibrating member engaging the upper contacts;

Figure 6 is a diagram showing the voltage which is impressed upon the driver coll for the upper vibratory interrupter, when the vibrating members are in phase;

Figure 7 is a diagram similar to Figure 6 and shows the voltage impressed upon the driver coil for the lower vibratory interrupter whenthe vibrating members are substantially 180 out of 40 phase; and

Figure 8 is a chart showing the natural frequencies for the two vibratory interrupters shown in Figure 1,

With reference to the drawing and particularly to Figure 1, the vibrating interrupter system comprises a first vibrating interrupter circuit designated by the reference character A and a second vibrating interrupter circuit designated by the reference character B. Each of the vibrating interrupter circuits includes. a transformer, a vibratory interrupter having a driving magnet. In the vibrating interrupter circuit A. the transformer is designated by the reference character Ill and has a split primary winding comprising two sections Hand l2 and a secondary winding it. The primary winding is provided with a center tap connected to one side of the battery 2] through a switch 22. While I have 11- lustrated a source of battery current, it is to be understood that the source 2| may be any suitable unidirectional current source. The oppositeside of the battery is connected to a vibrating reed or contact member ll of the vibratory interrupter. The vibrating contact member l6 vibrates between a pair of oppositely disposed relatively stationary contacts I4 and I5 which are respectively connected through conductors 38 and 31 to the end terminals of the primary winding. A capacitor may be connected across the two oppositely disposed stationary contacts I4 and i5.

For driving the vibrating contact member I6, I provide a driving magnet I8 having a coil i8. Before describing the electrical connection for the driving coil IQ for the vibrating interrupter circuit A, I will describe the vibrating interrupter circuit B which includes a transformer 56, a vibratory interrupter and a driving coil therefor. Generally speaking, the vibrating interrupter circuit B is substantially the same as that for the vibrating interrupter circuit A, and accordingly the transformer which is designated by the reference character 50 has a split primary winding comprising two sections 5| and 52 and a secondary winding 58. The primary winding is provided with a similar center tap connected to one side of the battery 2| through a conductor and the switch 22. The stationary end of a vibrating reed or contact member 56 ijor the vibrating interrupter circuit B is connected to the opposite side of the battery 2| through a conductor 26.

' The vibrating reed or contact member 56 vibrates between a pair of oppositely disposed relatively stationary contacts 54 and 55 which are respectively connected through conductors 24 and 39 to the end terminals of the primary winding for the transformer 50. A capacitor 60 may be connected across the two oppositely disposed stationary contacts 54 and 55. For driving the vibrating contact member 56, I provide'a driving magnet 56 having a driving coil 59. In this description, the contacts l4 and 54 which are disposed on the same side of the vibrating contact member as the driving magnet will be referred to as the magnet-side contacts, and the contacts l5 and 55 which are disposed on the side of the vibrating contact member away from the driving magnet will be referred to as the rebound contacts. The left-hand end of the driving coil to the battery voltage E, since the primary sections 5| and 52 are substantially identical. The battery voltage E applied to the primary section as shown in the drawings, will make the center tap of the primary positive relative to the lower end thereof. The voltage induced in the primary section 5| will hence be positive at the upper end relative to the center tap thereof. Under this condition substantially twice the voltage of the battery is impressed upon the driving coil i9 since the battery 2| is connected in series with the winding section 5| which has a generated volt-.

age thereacross substantially equal to the battery voltage. At the same time, a shunting circuit is established for shunting the driving coil 59 which means that there is no voltage impressed upon the driving coil 56 under the condition illustrated in Figure 2. The voltage condition for the driving coil l8 and the driving coil 59 for Figure 2 is illustrated in Figure 6, in which the reference character 21 represents the voltage wave impressed upon the driving coil i9 having a value of 21!. and "in which the line represented by E=0 represents the fact that no voltage appears across the'driving coil 69.

Figure 3 shows that both of the driver coils l9 and 56' are deenergized when the vibrating contact members |'6.and 56 are in phase and engaging I the magnet side'contact.

The Figure-4 illustrates the circuit condition for the driver coils when the vibrating contact members l6 and 56 are out of phase substantially 180 and with the vibrating contact member l6 engaging the magnet side contact l4 and with the vibrating contact member 56 engaging the thereacross.

interrupter circuit B. The left-hand end of the driving magnet 56 for the vibrating interrupter circuit B is connected to a contact 51 which is positioned on the underneath side of the vibrating contact member 56. The right-hand end of the drivingcoil 59 is connected to the rebound contact l5 of the vibrating interrupter circuit A.

As illustrated in Figure 2, when the vibrating contact members i6 and 56 are in phase and engaging the rebound contacts, a circuit is established ior including thevsection 5| of the trans- .former 50 in series with the driving coil l9. At this instant, the battery 2| is connected across the primary section 52 and hence induces a voltage in the primary section 5| in the manner of an autotransformer. The voltage induced in the primary'section 5| will then be substantially equal The Figure 5 illustrates the circuit condition for the driving coils when'the vibrating contact members i6 and 56 are substantially out of phase and with the vibrating contact member l6 engaging the rebound contact I5 and with the vibrating contact member 56 engaging the magnet side contact 54. In the position shown in Figure 5, the driving coil i9 is shunted, which means that no voltage exists thereacross. The voltage which is impressed on the driving coil 59 for the vibrating interrupter circuit B when the vibrating contact members i6 and 56 are substantially 180 out of phase is shown in Figure 7, in which the reference character 28 illustrates the voltage wave impressed upon the driving coil 59 having a voltage value of 2E, and in which the line designated by the reference character E=0 indicates that no voltage exists across the driver coil l8.

In operation, it is noted that when the vibrating contact members are in phase the driving coil IQ of the vibrating interrupter circuit A receives a voltage of 2E while the driving coil 59 for the vibrating interrupter circuit B receives no voltage. Thus, the vibrating contact member l6 will run in advance of the vibrating contact member 56. The moment that the vibrating contact member l6 for the vibrating interrupter circuit A advances to the position where it'is substantially 180 out of phase as shown in Figures 4 and 5, then the driving coil 59 for the vibrating is illustrated by cross-hatched lines as the same,

which means that the vibrating contact member it for the vibrating interrupter circuit A will lead the vibrating contact member 56 for the vibrating interrupter circuit B 90.

If the vibrating contact member 58 for the circuit B has a lower natural frequency than the vibrating contact member ii for the circuit A, such as illustrated in Figure 8, then the driving coil 59 will require more power to operate at the 1 same frequency as the frequency of the vibrating contact member I5. Under the condition when the vibrating contact member 56 has a lower natural frequency than the vibrating contact member IS, the vibrating contact member 56 will lag slightly more than 90 so as to receive more power to energize the driving coil 59 while the driving coil IQ for the vibrating interrupter circuit A will correspondingly receive less power. The dotted line 3| in Figure 6 shows that the driving coil l9 receives less power and the dotted line 32 in Figure 7 shows that the driving coil 59 receives more power. The adding of power to the driving coil 59 and the subtraction of power from the driving coil I9 causes the vibrating contact members l6 and 56 to become synchronized at some intermediate frequency as illustrated by the value X in Figure 8.

If the vibrating contact member it has a lower natural frequency than the vibrating contact member 56 which is just the reverse of the situation immediately described, then the driving coil IQ for the vibrating interrupter circuit A will receive more power and the driving coil 58 for the vibrating interrupter circuit B will receive less power, in which case the dotted line Si in Figure 6 will be shifted to the left of the line 29 and the'dotted line 32 in Figure '7 will be shifted to the right of the line 30.

In my vibrating interrupter system neither of the vibrating interrupter circuits A and B is a master and neither is a slave, but both vibrating interrupter circuits operate at a synchronous frequency value which lies between the natural frequency of the two vibratory interrupters. When both vibrating contact members l8 and 55 have the same natural frequency, the vibratory interrupter circuit A will lead the vibrating interrupter circuit B by substantially 90. When the two vibrating contact members I5 and 56 do not have the same natural frequency, the one having the higher natural frequency will tend to increase in frequency and hence will alter this 90 phase relationship. If the vibrating contact member i6 has the higher natural frequency, the relative phase displacement will be increased so that the vibrating interrupter circuit B operates at slightly more than 90 lagging. If the reverse is true, namely that the vibrating contact member 55 has the higher natural frequency, the relative phase displacement will be decreased so that the vibrating interrupter circuit B operates at slightly less than 90 lagging. The vibratory interrupter having the higher natural frequency therefore operates to shift the phase relation therebetween so that more power is delivered to the driving coil of the vibratory interrupter having the lower natural frequency and less power is delivered to the driving coil of the vibratory interrupter hav ing the higher natural frequency. For vibrators having substantially the same construction, the phase relation between the two frequencies will reside somewhere in the region of With respect to the voltage delivered by the secondary windings of the two vibrator circuits, it will be noted that these voltages will be correspondingly out of phase and this is particularly advantageous where the two secondary windings are connected to a rectifier system to give direct current in the output circuit. The rectified outputs from the two vibrating interrupter circuits A and B overlap each other substantially 90 or thereabouts, which means that there are no gaps in the output of the rectifier system, thus producing a steady flow of output current.

Although I.have described my invention with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made only by way of example, and that numerous changes in the details of construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

I claim as my invention:

1. A vibrating interrupter system for converting current from a direct current source into alternating current, said system comprising at least a first and a second vibrating interrupter circuit, each of said vibrating interrupter circuits including a vibrating contact member and a driving magnet having ,a coil, energizing circuit components for energizing the coils and driving the vibrating contact members at substantially the same frequency, said energizing circuit components comprising first circuit means for providing maximum energization to the coil of the first vibrating interrupter circuit and minimum energization to the coil of the second vibrating interrupter circuit when the vibrating contact members are substantially in phase, and secondcircuit means for providing maximum energization to the coil of the second vibrating interrupter circuit and minimum energization to the coil of the first vibrating interrupter circuit when the vibrating contact members are substantially out of phase.

2. A vibrating interrupter system for converting current from a direct current source into alternating current, said system comprising at least a first and a second vibrating interrupter circuit, each of said vibrating interrupter circuits including a vibrating contact member and a driving magnet having a coil, energizing circuit components for energizing the coils and driving the vibrating contact members at substantially the same frequency, said energizing circuit components comprising first circuit means for increasing the energization of the coil of the first vibrating interrupter circuit and decreasing the ener gizatlon of the coil of the second vibrating interrupter circuit when the vibrating contact member of the flrst vibrating interrupter circuit is less than substantially 90 in advance of the vibrating contact member of the second vibrating interrupter circuit, and second circuit means for increasing the energization of the coil of the second vibrating interrupter circuit and decreasing the energization of the coil of the first vibrating interrupter circuit when the vibrating contact member of the second vibrating interrupter circuit is more than substantially 90 in rear of the vibrating contact member of the first vibrat ing interrupter circuit.

3. A vibrating interrupter system for converting current from a direct current source into alternating current, said system comprising at least a first and a second vibrating interrupter circuit, each of said vibrating interrupter circuits including a vibrating contact member and a driving magnet having a coil, energizing circuit components for energizing the coils and driving the vibrating contact members at substantially the same frequency, said energizing circuit components comprising first circuit means for increasing the energization of the coil of the first vibrating interrupter circuit when the vibrating contact member of the first'vibrating interrupter circuit is less than substantially 90 in advance of the vibrating contact member of the second vibrating interrupter circuit, and second circuit means for increasing the energization of the coil of the second vibrating interrupter circuit when the vibrating contact member of the second vibrating interrupter circuit is more than substantially 90 in rear of the vibrating contact member of the first vibrating interrupter circuit.

a. A vibrating interrupter system for converting current from a direct current source into alternating current, said system comprising at least a first and a second vibrating interrupter circuit, each of said vibrating interrupter circuits includinga vibrating contact member and a driving magnet having a coil, energizing circuit components for energizing the coils and driving the vibrating contact members at a synchronous frequency value which lies between the natural frequency of the vibrating contact members, said energizing circuitcomponents comprising first circuit means for increasing the energization of the coil of the first vibrating interrupter circuit and decreasing the energization to the coil of the second vibrating interrupter circuit when the frequency of the vibrating contact i'nembers rises above the said synchronous frequency value, and second circuit means for increasing the energization of the coil of the second vibrating interrupter circuit and decreasing the energization of the coil of the first vibrating interrupter circuit when the frequency of the vibrating contact members falls below the said synchronous frequency value.

5. A'vibrating interrupter system for converting current from a direct current source into alternating current, said system comprising at least a first and a second vibrating interrupter circuit, each of said vibrating interrupter circuits including a vibrating contact member and a driving magnet having a coil, energizing circuit components for energizing the coils and driving the vibrating contact members at a synchronous frequency value which lies between the natural frequency of the vibrating contact members, said 1 energizing circuit components comprising first circuit means for increasing the energization of the coil of the first vibrating interrupter circuit when the frequency of the vibrating contact mem- T bers rises above the said synchronous frequency value, and a second circuit means for increasing the energization of the coil of the second vibrating interrupter circuit when the frequency of the vibrating contact members falls below the said synchronous frequency value.

6. A vibrating interrupter system for convertalternating current, said system comprising at least a first and a second vibrating interrupter circuit, each of said vibrating interrupter circuits including a vibrating contact member, energizing circuit components for energizing the coils and driving the vibrating contact members at a synchronous frequency value which lies between the natural frequency of the vibrating contact members, said energizing circuit components comprising first circuit means for decreasing the frequency of the vibrating contact member having the higher natural frequency to substantially the said synchronous frequency value, and second circuit means for increasing the frequency of the vibrating contact member having the lower natural frequency to substantially the said synchronous frequency value.

'I. A vibrating interrupter system fol-converting current from a direct current source into alternating current, said system comprising at least a first and second vibrating interrupter circuit, each of said vibrating interrupter circuits including a vibrating contact member, energizing circuit components for energizing the coils and driving the vibrating contact members at a synchronous frequency value which lies be tween the natural frequency of the vibrating contact members, said energizing circuit components comprising first circuit means for decreasing the frequency of the vibrating contact member having the higher natural frequency to substantially the said synchronous frequency value,second circuit means for increasing the frequency of the vibrating contact member having the lower natural frequency to substantially the said synchronous frequency value, and means for maintaining the frequencies of the vibrating contact members substantially 90 apart.

8. A vibrating interrupter system for converting current from a direct current source into alternating current,'said system comprising at least a first-and a second vibrating interrupter circuit, each of said vibrating interrupter circuitsincluding a vibrating contact member, energizing circuit components for energizing the coils and driving the vibrating contact members at a synchronous frequency value which lies between the natural frequency of the vibrating contact members, said energizing circuit components comprising first circuit means for decreasing the frequency of the vibrating contact member having the higher natural frequency to substantially the said synchronous frequency value. second circuit means for increasing the frequency of the vibrating contact member having the lower natural frequency to substantiallythe said synchronous frequency value, and means for maintaining the frequency of the vibrating contact member having the higher natural frequency substantially in advance of the frequency of the side of the direct current source, a center tap for said primary winding connected to the opposite side of the direct current source, a driving magnet positioned to one side of the said vibrating contact member for driving same, said driving magnet having a coil with a first end and a second end, the oppositely disposed contact means which is on the same side of the vibrating contact member as the driving magnet being designated as a magnet-side contact means and the other oppositely disposed contact means being designated as a rebound contact means, energizlng circuit means for energizing the coils of the driving magnets, said energizing circuit means comprising means for connecting the first end of the coil of the driving magnet of the first vibrating interrupter circuit to the vibrating contact member thereof for intermittent energization, means for connecting the first end of the coil of the driving magnet of the second vibrating interrupter circuit to the vibrating contact member thereof for intermittent energization, circuit means for connecting the second end of the coil of the first vibrating interrupter circuit to the magnet-side contact means of the second vibrating interrupter circuit, and means for connecting the second end of the coil for the second vibrating interrupter circuit to the rebound contact means of the first vibrating interrupter circult.

10. A vibrating interrupter system for converting current from a direct current source into alternating current, said system comprising at least a first vibrating interrupter circuit and a second vibrating interrupter circuit, said first and second vibrating interrupter circuits each inluding a transformer, contact means including a vibrating contact member for governing the intermittent energization of the transformer from the direct current source, and a driving magnet having a coil intermittently energized from the direct current source through the vibrating contact member, energizing circuit connections for energizing the coils and driving the .vibrating contact members of the first and second vibrating interrupter circuits at substantially the same frequency, said energizing circuit connections comprising first connection means connecting the coil of the driving magnet of the first vibrating interrupter circuit in circuit relation with the transformer of the second vibrating interrupter circuit through the contact means of said first vibrating interrupter circuit, and second connection means connecting the coil of the driving magnet of the second vibrating interrupter circuit in circuit relation with the transformer of the first vibrating interrupter circuit through the contact means of said second vibrating interrupter circuit, said contact means of said vibrating interrupter circuits shunting the driving magnet of the second vibrating interrupter circuit from the direct current source and including the transformer of the second vibrating interrupter circuit in series with the coil of the driving masnet of the first vibrating interrupter circuit when 2,205,717

the vibrating contact members are substantially in phase and disconnecting the driving magnet of the first vibrating interrupter circuit from the direct current source and including the transformer of the first vibrating interrupter circuit in series with the coil of the driving magnet of the second vibrating interrupter circuit when the vibrating contact members are substantially 180 out of phase.

11. A vibrating interrupter system for converting current from a direct current source into alternating current, said system comprising at,

least a first vibrating interrupter circuit and a second vibrating interrupter circuit, said first and second vibrating interrupter circuits each including a transformer, contact means including a vibrating contact member for governing the intermittent energization of the transformer from the direct current source, and a driving magnet having a coil intermittently energized from the direct current source through the vibrating contact member, energizing circuit connections for energizing the coils and driving the vibrating contact members of the first and second vibrating interrupter circuit at substantially the same frequency, said energizing circuit connections comprising first connection means connecting the coil of the driving magnet of the first vibrating interrupter circuit in circuit relation with the transformer of the second vibrating interrupter circuit through the contact means of said first vibrating interrupter circuit, and second connection means connecting the coil of the driving magnet of the second vibrating interrupter circuit in circuit relation with the transformer of the first vibrating interrupter circuit through the contact means of said second vibrating interrupter circuit, said contact means of said vibrating interrupter circuits shunting the driving magnet of the second vibrating interrupter circuit from the direct current source and including the transformer of the second vibrating interrupter circuit in series with the coil of the driving magnet of the first vibrating interrupter circuit when the vibrating contact member of the first vibrating interrupter circuit is less than substantially in advance of the vibrating contact member of the second vibrating interrupter circuit and disconnecting the driving magnet of the first vibrating interrupter circuit from the direct current source and including the transformer of the first vibrating interrupter circuit in series with the coil of the driving magnet of the second vibrating interrupter circuit when the vibrating contact member of the second vibrating interrupter circuit is more than substantially 90 in rear of the vibrating contact member of the first vibrating interrupter circuit.

HAROLD J. BROWN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number -Name Date Bedford Dec. 9, 1941 8,372,986 Kiltle Apr. 3, i945 

